For Week 3 of Leanne Cole’s Monochrome Madness I have chosen to submit an image that I made this week that was really hard for me to make for another challenge. A Self Portrait. Although I’m a very vain woman making images of myself isn’t something I do. I am very self-conscious and awkward in front of the camera. I feel like I’m not photogenic. But, I’m a stubborn gal and once committed I will do what I can to fulfill the commitment even if I don’t post the work.

With time running out already in March I decided I had to pull up my boots, straighten my collar and get to work! So, while out-of-town photographing wild flowers I made several self portraits nearly killing myself tripping over the Basalt Lava rocks on Table Mountain to beat the 10 second timer then while at home on Sunday I thought I’d make a more formal type self-portrait.

Hum
What is this dark hum among the roses?
The bees have gone simple, sipping,
that’s all. What did you expect? Sophistication?
They’re small creatures and they are
filling their bodies with sweetness, how could they not
moan in happiness? The little
worker bee lives, I have read, about three weeks.
Is that long? Long enough, I suppose, to understand
that life is a blessing. I have found them — haven’t you? —
stopped in the very cups of the flowers, their wings
a little tattered — so much flying about, to the hive,
then out into the world, then back, and perhaps dancing,
should the task be to be a scout-sweet, dancing bee.
I think there isn’t anything in this world I don’t
admire. If there is, I don’t know what it is. I
haven’t met it yet. Nor expect to. The bee is small,
and since I wear glasses, so I can see the traffic and
read books, I have to
take them off and bend close to study and
understand what is happening. It’s not hard, it’s in fact
as instructive as anything I have ever studied. Plus, too,
it’s love almost too fierce to endure, the bee
nuzzling like that into the blouse
of the rose. And the fragrance, and the honey, and of course
the sun, the purely pure sun, shining, all the while, over
all of us.~Mary Oliver, Sacred Poems

2. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing until

fully incorporated; stir in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; stir into the batter alternately with the milk. If the batter is too stiff a tablespoon or two of milk may be added. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.

3. Bake for 30-35 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack, then turn out onto a serving plate. Dust with confectioner’s sugar right before serving.

Like this:

In Sept. 2014 we started looking for a contractor to add an additional bedroom to our house. We finally narrowed the field and chose a well regarded contractor in our area. We’ve been in the planning, drawing, back to the drawing board phase since then. Finally we’ve reached Phase 1 of the building phase! I didn’t realize how long it takes to get this point.

Phase 1: Hall Bathroom Demolition Day! Our hall bathroom will be redone/updated with new fixtures, shower walls, tiles, and a new floor.

Here’s what it looked like yesterday:

Hall Bathroom Before

Some of you may remember that I spent a week-end repainting the cabinet, and mirror, changed the light fixture, and decorations in early September 2014. I’ve been ready for an update for awhile.

Here’s how it looked at the end of business today.

We’re keeping the tub as it’s cast iron and in really good shape, but all the other fixtures are being

replaced. So far they’ve found no water damage. I hope that holds true when they get under the house.

We’ll be a one bathroom family until the end of March. We can handle that I hope!

In this phase we’re also having a slotted partition that separates our Living and Family rooms replaced with a real wall and a pocket door. That work begins in a few days.

One surprise and disappointment today- we need to have a new attic space entry since we’ll be adding new ceiling and covering up the existing entry. Where we wanted to put it for easier access isn’t going to work. When they cut open the ceiling they discovered our house was built with Trusses and the truss runs through the space we wanted to use. So, it’s plan B, and a big patch job in the ceiling no one expected.

As we go on the additional bedroom will be added, and our entry hall and Master bedroom are being enlarged to be able to access the new bedroom. We’re also enlarging the Master bathroom a little bit.

It sounds like a lot, but in reality as far as additions and remodels go…ours is puny. :) At least around our neighborhood where most folks are super-sizing their homes when they remodel.

It’s going to be chaos around here all Spring, and I imagine there will be one or two more surprises along the way, but it will all be worth it in the end.